1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ophthalmic image pickup apparatus used in an ophthalmic doctor's office, for a group medical examination, or the like.
2. Related Background Art
Up to now, a fixation target for leading the line of sight of an eye to be examined is provided in an eye fundus image pickup apparatus. For example, there are the following settings related to the fixation target.
In eye fundus image pickup in an ophthalmic section of a hospital or the like, an image of different ophthalmic diseased regions is picked up for each patient in many cases. Accordingly, the fixation target is moved to lead the line of sight of the eye to be examined so that an image of a region which is most effective for diagnosis can be picked up. In contrast, in the case of the eye fundus image pickup in a group medical examination, it is unnecessary to move the fixation target because an image pickup region is determined according to an examination purpose.
Thus, the movement of the fixation target is made effective in the case of eye fundus image pickup in the ophthalmic section and the movement of the fixation target is made ineffective in the case of the eye fundus image pickup in the group medical examination.
Also, in the case of the eye fundus image pickup in the group medical examination, because the image pickup region is changed for each examination purpose, the position of the fixation target is changed. For example, in the case of eye fundus image pickup in an adult diseases examination, the fixation target is provided in a position in which the center between an optic disk and a macula lutea in the eye to be examined becomes the center of image.
In the case of eye fundus image pickup in a glaucomatous examination, the fixation target is provided in a position in which the optic disk of the eye to be examined becomes the center of image. In the case of eye fundus image pickup in a macular degeneration examination, the fixation target is provided in a position in which the macula lutea becomes the center of image. Thus, the fixation target is provided in the position corresponding to the purpose such as the eye fundus image pickup in the adult disease examination, the eye fundus image pickup in the glaucomatous examination, or the eye fundus image pickup in the macular degeneration examination.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional examples, there are the following problems. When the eye fundus image pickup in the ophthalmic section and the eye fundus image pickup in the group medical examination are conducted, in particular, when the purpose such as the adult disease examination, the glaucomatous examination, or the macular degeneration examination in the group medical examination is changed to conduct the eye fundus image pickup, it is necessary to reset plural settings related to the fixation target. Therefore, it takes much time and efforts for a person picking up an image and it is extremely burdensome. Further, when there is omission in settings related to the fixation target, there is a fear of causing an unexpectable operating error.